


Soup and Sneezes

by diner_drama



Series: The Rise Bakery [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Also with love, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Steve gets sick, Then Bucky makes him better, with soup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22896985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diner_drama/pseuds/diner_drama
Summary: Mustering up some small amount of embarrassment, Steve started gathering up the trash from around him into one pile. "Sorry my place is so gross, I haven't been able to move about much."Unbothered, Bucky brought over the trash can and Steve threw his gathered tissues into it, where they landed with a wet thud."Ugh," said Steve again."I brought you all of the Forbidden Medicines," said Bucky, taking a rattling paper bag out of his pocket. "The cashier had to get a key from the other end of the store to open the cabinetandshe made me show her my ID so youknowthis stuff is gonna be good."
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: The Rise Bakery [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645768
Comments: 12
Kudos: 178





	Soup and Sneezes

It was a chilly morning in early spring and Bucky was whistling away in the bakery's kitchen while kneading some dough for a batch of crusty bread rolls, when his phone beeped with four messages in succession.

**Steve:** Bucky I'm dying

**Steve:** Well, I say dying

**Steve:** I have a cold

**Steve:** Still though

Bucky was already throwing off his apron and pulling on his jacket before he was halfway through reading. He yelled something unintelligible up to Clint and Natasha at the counter, who nonetheless understood his meaning, and sprinted out the door, texting with one hand.

**Bucky:** Omg

**Bucky:** I'm coming over

Fifteen minutes later he was knocking on Steve's door with a bag of baked goods, some pumpkin soup, and every cold medicine he could find.

"Cobe id," said a weak voice from inside. Bucky turned the handle and let himself in.

Steve was propped up on a throne of pillows in his unmade bed, blankets piled on his legs and a stunning array of crumpled tissues scattered around, his nose rubbed red from sneezing and the heavy feeling of sickness in the air.

"Ugh, don't look at be, I'b gross," said Steve, throwing an arm over his face.

"I brought you soup."

Steve peeked out from under his elbow, made grabby hands until Bucky handed him the soup, then balanced the takeout container on his lap precariously as he blew his nose with great aplomb. "OK, I guess you can look at me."

"Lucky me."

Mustering up some small amount of embarrassment, Steve started gathering up the trash from around him into one pile. "Sorry my place is so gross, I haven't been able to move about much."

Unbothered, Bucky brought over the trash can and Steve threw his gathered tissues into it, where they landed with a wet thud.

"Ugh," said Steve again.

"I brought you all of the Forbidden Medicines," said Bucky, taking a rattling paper bag out of his pocket. "The cashier had to get a key from the other end of the store to open the cabinet _and_ she made me show her my ID so you _know_ this stuff is gonna be good."

"Ooh, the sleepytime cough syrup," said Steve, inspecting the medicines with the air of a connoisseur. "Don't know if it helps with the coughing but it sure as hell makes me stop worrying about it."

"Also, Nat told me to tell you that the resources of her underworld connections are available to you if you require anything that is difficult to acquire by legal channels."

"I don't know exactly what she means by that, but tell her I said thank you," said Steve, tapping out a couple of decongestants from the packet and swallowing them with a gulp of cold tea.

"I'm making you a fresh cup of tea," said Bucky, leaving his bag of food on Steve's bed and heading into the kitchen. "Eat your soup."

"You don't need to do that," called Steve weakly. "I can make my own tea."

"You've got soup to eat," said Bucky as he filled up the kettle, "and if my mother finds out that I let my sick boyfriend make his own tea she will cut off my other arm."

Steve's kitchen was tiny, not only compared to Bucky's big industrial kitchen in the bakery, but to kitchens in general. Bucky awkwardly maneuvered his bulky frame around the cabinets to find the teabags and honey, and then brought a new, hot mug of tea out to Steve. Straightening up the comic books littering the nightstand, he gently placed the cup down and slid into bed next to Steve, who rolled over and cuddled close into his broad chest.

"I don't want to be sick any more," said Steve, sounding muffled. "Sickness is canceled. I'm unsubscribing."

"Did you eat all your soup?"

"Mhm. I like that you made it spicy."

"Figured it might help with your sinuses."

"It did. You shouldn't hug me, I'll make you sick," said Steve, not releasing his hold.

Bucky drew his arms closer around Steve's body and stroked softly down his arms. "I'll take that risk. I don't get sick much. How do you feel?"

"Well, my fever's gone. I'm still coughing up a lot of mucus but it's not green any more so I'm gonna take that as a good sign, but my head still feels like it's stuffed with cotton wool, I feel like I've been sick for a _hundred years_ , and if I get an ear infection right now I am going to _lose_ my _shit_."

"Aw, Stevie," said Bucky, tenderly stroking the hair from his forehead. "You are so broken."

Steve groaned and buried his face in Bucky's soft sweater. "Do you still like me even though I'm gross?"

"Eh, I guess."

"Jerk."

"Punk. Wanna watch a movie?"

"Mmm. I gotta wash up and change into clean PJs first, though."

"Where do you keep your sheets? I'll make the bed while you do that."

Steve hesitated for a second, wobbling on his feet, as though he were about to insist that he was perfectly capable of making his own bed, then clearly thought better of it and pointed to a drawer in his bureau.

The sheets were old, the kind of soft cotton worn thin with years of use that feels like pulling on your favorite old shirt. Bucky smiled to himself as he stripped the bed and tucked in the new sheets, happy to be wrapping Steve up in the most comfortable things. He queued up a movie onto Steve's computer and set about piling up the pillows to make a little throne. Not long after, Steve emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, in a fresh pair of Batman pajamas with his blond hair sticking up like crazy.

"You look almost human," commented Bucky, motioning for him to come and sit down.

"The steam helps," said Steve sheepishly, tucking himself back into Bucky's chest. Bucky piled up the blankets on top of him, tucking them around his chest, and cuddled him tighter. There was a rattle in Steve's breathing that he wasn't a fan of, but his voice sounded less thick and he wasn't so pale.

"Did you take all the medicine you need?"

"Yes, ma," grumbled Steve. "What movie did you pick?"

"Spirited Away, because you're a gross mucus monster."

"Aw, you sure say the sweetest things, Buck."

"Only for you, Stevie."

"Thanks for coming over," said Steve quietly. "I know you didn't exactly sign on to play nursemaid."

"I'd look very cute in one of those little hats." Steve let out a weak little laugh. "Hey," said Bucky, raising Steve's chin to look him in the eye. "I'm with you. I know you get sick a lot, I'm not going to leave you to deal with that on your own."

"You're the best. I'm not going to kiss you because germs, but when I'm better I'll kiss you like eighty times to make up for it."

"I'll hold you to that."

They set the movie running and settled down to watch. It didn't take long for the meds to kick in and before halfway through, Steve was out like a light, slumped against Bucky's chest with his mouth hanging open.

Bucky looked down at his snotty boyfriend drooling on his chest, and privately thought that this was probably what love felt like.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a true story: I had a cold once.


End file.
